Relapse is far too common in recovery and doesn’t discriminate. Men and women with years of sobriety have found themselves fall back into addiction, often much worse than it was before they became sober. Relapse is never a reason to give up on sobriety, and everyone can get back to a happy and healthy state of sobriety. However, it can feel discouraging to see someone who seemed to be doing well in their recovery program fall victim to relapse. Our sobriety is not dependent on any other individual. We can’t let ourselves become resentful or fearful when someone else relapses. Everyone’s recovery is their own personal journey toward a happy, joyous, and free life—we can’t let our recovery be contingent upon anyone else’s path. Instead, we allow ourselves to be available to help and remind the person that there is no reason to feel shame for their slip. The recovery community is all-inclusive and welcomes anyone back with open arms. Slips in sobriety are not necessary, but sometimes we need to stay aware that people need to experience their own “rock bottom” to obtain the necessary willingness to engage thoroughly with a recovery program. When we see someone else relapse, especially someone we trusted such as a sponsor or close friend in recovery, we may think “if they can’t do it, I can’t either.” However, relapse does not happen out of the blue. Generally, the person who has relapsed discontinued or let up on the program of action they were in engaging in to maintain their sobriety. We can only take it as a reminder of how dangerous it can be to rest on our laurels, rather than continuously trying to personally grow and develop in sobriety. We know what we need to be doing to keep ourselves sober and spiritually healthy. Allowing someone else’s relapse to affect us in a way that causes fear and resentment brings us closer to surrendering to the call of drugs and alcohol. We cannot let that happen. Rather, we make ourselves available to help if the person is willing to reengage in recovery and we continue on our own journey, careful not to allow ourselves to let up on any aspect of our program.
Hope, faith, and courage can be a part of your story. Your life doesn’t have to be one of addiction—you can seek help now and build a brighter future. Oceanfront Recovery, a men’s treatment facility in Orange County, California, can give you the tools needed to achieve long-lasting sobriety. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pacific Ocean, Oceanfront offers a serene and peaceful environment for you to begin your journey of recovery. For more information about treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
